North Devon line services in 1980s

[Ramblin Rich]

Pete - thanks, I hadn't heard of the Chris Leigh book. I'm assuming the 25 + 2 mk1s + vans is the infamous "mixed" train we've discussed further back the thread - in which case the vans may be the Fruit Ds. I don't think I'll have room for the 7 coach sets on my model though...

[Eggesford box]

Hi,

having read the various posts I would agree the north Devon line would make a good basis for a model and indeed a few models have appeared based on the line. Traffic to Barnstaple was pretty varied well into the seventies. Steel plate was conveyed for Appledore shipbuilders in a wide variety of wagons including Plate, Boplate and Trestrol wagons. Cement (bagged) was also carried in long wheelbase vans as well as in Presflos. Drainage pipes where carried in Tube wagons. Rotary muckspreaders also appeared on Lowfits as did returning coastguard minis. Beer casks, fibreglass insulation and fertiliser and cattle feed traffic also went to Barnstaple in vans. Most of the vans for the fertiliser traffic where vanfits but Vanwides where also not uncommon. Nitram was a popular fertiliser in those days and once empty, one of the jobs was to strip out and burn the cardboard lining in the vans. Mixed with copious amounts of spilt Nitram this gave off large clouds of white smoke. There would be an idea for a cameo on a model with a Seuthe smoke generator! I cannot remember seeing merchants stickers on the side of any of the vans for either Barnstaple or Torrington though. I did see a Minfit in the yard at Barnstaple once loaded with scrap. I believe one of the local scrap merchants did get a section 8 grant though I do not think the railway ended up wuth much traffic. The very occasional ferry van appeared with glass moulds for Torrington glassworks (unloaded at Barnstaple) From my memory Fruit Ds appeared for traffic from Toyworks (later Leisure industries Ltd) at Handy Cross near Bideford. These where the likes of blackboards and pool tables, this being the time that Pot Black was very popular on the TV. These went back on the freight for Riverside in the early evening. DMUs conveying tail loads when I knew the line in the mid seventies to early eighties where the following (times varied slightly over the years);

0405 St Davids to Barnstaple, newspaper van sometimes one of the converted Siphon Gs which went back on the 1535 from Barnstaple.

1000 arrival at Barnstaple which went back on the 2055 from Barnstaple.

Understandably the enthusiasts excursions get most of the attention but other ' holidaymaker' type excursions also ran (Where they branded under the 'Merrymaker' name?) and you can even justify a boat train, yes really! Not a boat train in the traditional sense of course but Ellerman lines chartered one or two trains for boat naming ceremonies at Appledore, the passengers being taken on by road from Bideford. A spiffy class 31 and a couple of MK1 firsts along with a catering vehicle of some description. Hope the foregoing is of some interest and use.

[Eggesford box]

Hi,

Traffic could be worked direct to Lapford, When the UKF traffic was working the Sundays only Ince and Elton to Truro conveyed a portion for Lapford dropped off at Riverside.. The freight from Riverside only ran as far as Lapford on a Monday and returned light from Lapford, at one time going to the oil sidings at Tiverton Junction I believe. A light engine came out from Exeter just after lunchtime on the Monday to pick the empties up from Lapford to return them to Riverside. There where two ground frames at Lapford at either end of the run round loop with that at the north end having an intermediate token instrument to allow the freight to 'shut away' in the sidings. The ground frames themselves where unlocked by the key token and where not released by placing the token in the intermediate instrument as some of the Exeter guards seemed to believe. Once with nearly a very interesting result!

[Eggesford box]

Hi,

the 08 had gone by 1979 at least. One of the last ones was 08 641, Iremember because it was the first engine I ever had a ride on!

[Eggesford box]

Yes its me again!

Having read through all the posts a few thoughts.

Firstly my memories relate to the mid to late seventies/early eighties if anything I have put down seems to contradict others (and thats even before time starts playing tricks with the memory) As regards the mixed train I am pretty sure in my day the parcels vans where all BR design four wheeled CCTs/PMVs, presumably the use of Fruit Ds mentioned by other contributors had ceased on this train by then. I never saw it convey a tail load other than the parcel vans though one of the staff did mention to me about it conveying Presflos though I doubt if anyone could confirm this now. It is interesting about the various comments on how traffic to Lapford was worked, again it may have changed since my time after 1982. Presumably the UKF vans would have had to be back at Riverside to catch their return working to Ince but if other traffic flows did not have the same imperative to be back at Exeter then I guess it may be more convenient to pick them up on the way to Barnstaple the following morning.

[roundhouse]

I remember seeing the newspaper / parcels van at the back of the early morning DMU form Exeter up to Barnstaple.

 

One day I was there to video the DMU shunt it into the siding between the platforms but this this particular time it took the van back with it. What a change now on this branch with no freight North of Coleford Junction and a much reduced track layout at Barnstaple.

 

Ian

[Ramblin Rich]

Hi "Eggesford Box" thanks for adding to this, the more information the better. It seems the freight traffic was even more varied than I realised in the early 1980s

 

There's a couple of pictures of the "boat train" special on Steve Johnson's Cyberheritage site with the following comment:

The train hauled by a 31 that I have labelled as a boat train is not of course such a train in the conventional sense. The train was provided for the naming ceremony of a boat at Appledore shipbuilders. I believe it was an Ellermans Line ship. The train was composed of first class stock and had catering facilities. I presume it conveyed its patrons to Bideford and they where taken on by road transport

Which is pretty much what you said!

[Eggesford box]

Thats cos it was me that took it!

[colin penfold]

Thought you might be interested in this working which I believe was a regular occurrence on the line - taken

01/07/80 at eggesford , a 3 car dmu with GUV tail load. Morning working I think from memory.

[Ramblin Rich]

@Eggesford Box - are you Dave Vinsen then? If so, a very warm welcome & thanks for making your pictures availlable via Steve Johnson - very much appreciated

@Colin Penfold - Thanks, a useful addition to the few images of the DMUs + tail load

[Eggesford box]

It is I! Nice shot of the DMU hauling the van. The one working I never took a photo of was a DMU hauling a van. The only time Itook a photo of the 1535 or equivalent woking from Barnstaple it was engine and stock vice the DMU.

[Rivercider]

Thats cos it was me that took it!

 

Thanks for the pic, and the aditional info

 

cheers

[roundhouse]

The Busby DMU at Barnstaple in 1985.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

A rather unusual driver parked in Barnstaple yard!

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

A class 31 shunitng Barnstaple yard with the signal box behind. Again taken in 1985. We were exhibiting a layout in the old parcels shed the week that the GWR 150 exhibition train visited Barnstaple.

 

Ian

[rob D2]

I'm surprised there was not any traffic for RAF chivenor...

[Fat Controller]

I'm surprised there was not any traffic for RAF chivenor...

There would have been, but conveyed discretely in sheeted opens or in vans.. Bigger items, if not delivered by road, would have been in Pipes and Tubes.

[D826]

It is I! Nice shot of the DMU hauling the van. The one working I never took a photo of was a DMU hauling a van. The only time Itook a photo of the 1535 or equivalent woking from Barnstaple it was engine and stock vice the DMU.

 

Mr Vinsen Sir,

 

Welcome -

 

Your photos of the North Devon Line have inspired me massively, thank you for making them available on the web. The human element is apparent in your phots, something my Dad (LT steam and P Way driver), used to make me laugh about in the 70's.

 

Looking back, we didn't realise how spoilt we were in the 70's with semaphores, loco hauled stock, running around at places like Barney, and lots of freight, with an eclectic range of freight stock. Love, just love, your photos of the 6 wheel milk tank workings from Torrington - the Siphon G in the yard and the more relaxed attitude towards health and safety evidenced in the 70's - (when it was not assumed that all and sundry would do stupid things, people exercised responsibility for their own actions, and more importantly, no win no fee parasitic lawyers didn't exist in the volumes they do today).

 

Its the fact that you took pictures of things like the Shelvoke and Drewry Freightlifter that add to the whole period atmosphere.

 

I worked in Barney (NDDC) for 3 years from 1990 - by which time the station was a shadow of its former self - and shocked me how much had gone from when I first diverted my Ma and Pa there for a mooch around when we were on our way to Instow in about 74.

 

I am making slow, but definite progress with a compressed version of Barnstaple Junction circa 77...all down to your wonderful photos and tales of the railway - heaps of operational interest, without limitless stock. [Though my effort at a kit built Swindon 120 dmu shows why a rtr one would be handy in 'n'] !

 

Good to have you on RM web. Happy New Year - your pics have certainly given me a lot of pleasure in 2011.

 

All the best,

 

Matt Wood

[Eggesford box]

Hi Matt,

thanks for that, it makes the time scanning in the old photos worthwhile. If you have any questions I will help if I can. I would very much like to see a class 120 DMU in model form as well though in OO. If Bachmann ever do one I guess there is more chance of it appearing in both scales. With Bachmann already having brought out three DMUs though you wonder if the market is large enough for them to consider bringing out a fourth. Mind you, if I ever do get round to starting another layout I have a suspicion it will end up as the Baltimore & Ohio in West Virginia! Maybe when I retire I will start building a north Devon layout to bring back all the old memories. All the best for the new year.

David.

[Pennine MC]

... I never saw it convey a tail load other than the parcel vans though one of the staff did mention to me about it conveying Presflos though I doubt if anyone could confirm this now.

 

Sounds odd but it wouldnt be unprecedented, I have a photo of a Presflo (and a 13T Highfit with cable drum) on the back of the evening Kyle - Inverness train in 1976

 

... I would very much like to see a class 120 DMU in model form as well though in OO. .. Mind you, if I ever do get round to starting another layout I have a suspicion it will end up as the Baltimore & Ohio in West Virginia!

 

Yeah, they did get about, but not that far

[Eggesford box]

Ta for that,

I would love to see that photo and at least it proves that conveying Presflos is not an impossibility. I believe the idea of making the train a mixed train was to convey any overflow from the previous days freight.

As for the 120 DMU, perhaps I could claim it was wrongly routed at Atlantic Junction!

[Pennine MC]

Ta for that,

I would love to see that photo and at least it proves that conveying Presflos is not an impossibility.

 

I've found it Dave, funnily enough in only the second folder I opened on the hard drive (which still wasnt where I expected it to be). I've done a piece on my Wordpress blog about it - link below.

[The Stationmaster]

 

I've found it Dave, funnily enough in only the second folder I opened on the hard drive (which still wasnt where I expected it to be). I've done a piece on my Wordpress blog about it - link below.

Interesting pic that one, plus the 'debate' about tail traffic and Mixed Trains. The simplest answer to the latter question should there be any doubt was what it said in the Working Timetable and Sectional Appendix. I would think that is perhaps a Mixed Train in view of the date but the settler would be either the WTT (as already noted) or the wheel base of the wagons.

 

Incidentally the Mallaig oil tanker was very clearly Mixed Train in nature - or it was in 1969 when I both took a pic of it and travelled on the train) as it included a suitable wagon as a runner to separate the tank car from the passenger vehicles and that could be any freight vehicle (an empty 16ton Min on that occasion). Things might well have changed later as we are talking about Scotland where the seemed to take a fiendish delight in being that bit different from the rest of BR in a way that almost made the Western look totally integrated.

[Fat Controller]

Interesting pic that one, plus the 'debate' about tail traffic and Mixed Trains. The simplest answer to the latter question should there be any doubt was what it said in the Working Timetable and Sectional Appendix. I would think that is perhaps a Mixed Train in view of the date but the settler would be either the WTT (as already noted) or the wheel base of the wagons.

 

Incidentally the Mallaig oil tanker was very clearly Mixed Train in nature - or it was in 1969 when I both took a pic of it and travelled on the train) as it included a suitable wagon as a runner to separate the tank car from the passenger vehicles and that could be any freight vehicle (an empty 16ton Min on that occasion). Things might well have changed later as we are talking about Scotland where the seemed to take a fiendish delight in being that bit different from the rest of BR in a way that almost made the Western look totally integrated.

Tanks were still being conveyed as tail traffic on the Mallaig and Oban lines into the 1980s, I believe. Other oddities I have seen in photos include a Lowmac at Kyle of Lochalsh, and a 12t Pipe at the back of a service from Milford Haven.

[Ramblin Rich]

I'm sure I've seen a published image of the Mallaig "mixed" with a single 20 nose first, a few Mk1s then a sinlle TTA - but no barrier wagon. It might have been returning empty but can't be sure...

Getting a bit far from North Devon (but both areas have otters...)!